Striving to preserve, disseminate and applaud Filipino culture Fernando Calica Marinas exemplifies the best kind of Filipino and Pangasinense. For his valuable contribution and influence through service to the Filipino community worldwide, he has been nominated for the 2006 Presidential Awards for Filipino individuals and organizations overseas.
Married to the former Bella Magoncia of Tayug, Pangasinan, Marinas resides in San Diego, California. They have a son and daughter, both married, and three grandchildren. Beyond family, however, his compassion for his countrymen, interpersonal skills, brains, vision and enthusiastic leadership are well matched by his information technology skills, acquired upon retirement from the US Navy. Soon after retirement, he earned an Associate Degree in Computer Science and Information Technology at Miramar College, San Diego, California.
Despite a full time job and a family today, Marinas volunteers his time and effort enthusiastically and extensively to aid and comfort his countrymen worldwide. The website www.pangasinan.org that he created and maintains has become a tool for Filipinos worldwide to communicate with relatives, friends and not-for-profit organizations a.k.a. NGOs.
His continuous and voluntary maintenance of this website, coupled with direct personal and financial involvement have been instrumental in raising funds for building projects, hospital supplies, and the popular “Operation Backpack.” The latter has raised nearly P8.5 million pesos to help defray school expenses for 11,258 school children in 108 elementary schools in Pangasinan.
The website www.pangasinan.org has now become the golden link between generous province mates abroad and less fortunate kababayan. As one of Marinas’ objectives has come to fruition; the smiles on the faces of 11,258 schoolchildren in Pangasinan are themselves more than enough reward.
The website has also become one of the most accessed by Filipinos. As April 13, 2006, it has received more than 1,438,700 hits – bringing Pangasinenses together as one in cyberspace. Marinas’ eagerness to help and ability to interact with his province mates has also enjoyed another reward in wide public trust.
Two recent awards have acknowledged this. On October 17, 2005, the Tanggapan Ng Sangguniang Panlungsod, Dagupan City unanimously passed Resolution No. 5164-2005 commending Fernando Calica Marinas for creating the Pangasinan Online website. On the same day, the Libsong International Association awarded him a Certificate of Appreciation for his commitment and untiring support to the people of Pangasinan through the Internet.
Marinas now plans to expand the website to include all provinces of the Philippines.
